McInnes future set to be resolved

Aberdeen coach Paul Sheerin expects the ongoing saga surrounding the future of Rangers target Derek McInnes to be resolved later on Thursday.

Rangers had an approach to speak to the Aberdeen manager rejected on Tuesday but the 46 year-old has since held lengthy talks with Dons chairman Stewart Milne.

Both McInnes and his assistant Tony Docherty were absent from training for the second day running on Thursday as those discussions continued.

Now Dons under-20s boss Sheerin - who has been preparing the team for Friday night's clash at Dundee alongside first team-coach Barry Robson - revealed a conclusion could be in sight as he stood in for McInnes at the club's pre-match media conference.

When asked what he had been told, Sheerin said: "Just that there will be a resolution at some stage today either way, whether the manager will be here or won't. Hopefully be the close of play today we'll have a decision on that."

Sheerin has not given up hope that McInnes will stay with the club, having signed a new three-year contract in June after rejecting an offer from Sunderland.

"I've been in touch with (Derek)," he said. "He's asked how training has been, asked how players are. So we have been in touch but it was purely just with regards to training and obviously the game.

"There was nothing spoken about his situation. That's none of my business in all honesty.

"Derek will make his decision in time and we adhere to whatever that decision is.

"We have formed a decent working relationship as a staff so we're all hopeful that he and Tony stay at the club. But whether that happens is outside our control and there is nothing we can do about it."

Sheerin expects he will have to take up the reins when the Dons head to Dens Park if Rangers succeed with their bid for McInnes.

But he backed the club's players to shrug off the disruption as they look to respond to back-to-back defeats to the Ibrox men.

"Up until such times it will be business as usual for us in terms of trying to prepare our best for the game," said the former Inverness and St Johnstone midfielder.

"The nature of the beast is that we have to prepare as best we can. There's no getting away from that.

"There's a game to play and we need to make sure the players are right. Hopefully they are. They seem relatively relaxed about the whole situation.

"It's not ideal but it's a situation I'm sure they will just get on with it."